Most people try to heal IBS with diet. While this definitely makes sense, food is not always the whole picture. Emotions play a big role in gut function. People with digestive issues have sensitive guts that are reactive to negative emotions.

I decided to write about the emotions associated with perfectionism because I suffer with it and intuitively feel that many of you suffer with it too. Being a perfectionist can effect gut function. So the best diet you can go on for IBS is a perfection-free diet! Read on to find out what I mean.

I just launched my site and I want my welcome blog to be perfect.

Wait. Scratch that. I want it to be anything but perfect!

Perfectionism is what’s held me back all my life. And I think it might have played a part in my gut troubles.

Sensitive people feel their emotions in their gut. And striving to be perfect is like a vice that slowly tightens around your intestines.

When I care deeply about something, I strive for perfection. Unfortunately, this often leads to severe procrastination.

Some examples:

I proudly designed my web site myself, true DIY-style, and I’m not technical at all. Then my perfectionistic tendencies got involved. I delayed the launch for months because I sweated every word, rewriting my about page until I could not longer stand it. And it still wasn’t right.

Also, it took me almost 8 years to start this business. I was easily discouraged by the less than perfect interactions with digestive sufferers. People with IBS wanted to know what I did to heal myself. Was it a pill? Acupuncture? Did I cut out a certain food?

When I told them I did a year-long liver cleanse, their eyes glazed over.

“That’s so interesting” they’d say, looking around the room and plotting their escape. “I just don’t have the discipline for that.”

My response overwhelmed people and my passion intimidated them. There was no way they could eat that perfectly for a whole year. I didn’t understand why people weren’t falling over themselves when I offered the magic solution. It wasn’t supposed to go this way.

My healing IBS diet is not for everyone

It worked phenomenally for me but it’s not everyone’s path. Everyone has unique healing needs. I work with people based on their symptoms, lifestyle and comfort level. I respect their pace, don’t believe in overwhelming them and never expect perfection.

Despite the fact that it never seemed like the perfect time, I left my job and decided to pursue my perfect dream. People needed me. They were in pain and confusion and didn’t care about my perfect bio page. They needed help now.

The connection between perfectionism and the gut

I learned from my body-centered practice of Chi Gong that every emotion has a corresponding contraction. If you ease the physical contraction, the emotion will also dissipate. I’d been on a wild emotional rollercoaster my whole life and finally had some tools to work with it.

Not convinced about this connection? Can’t you tell a depressed person from a mile away? Their shoulders are slumped, their head is lowered and their eyes are focused downward.

Anxiety leads people to tighten their chests, lift their shoulders and widen their eyes. These contractions produce the physical sensations we associate with emotions.

The contractions of perfectionism compromise the gut by creating too much contraction for it to relax and do it’s job.

Perfectionism itself is not an emotion, but it’s underlying emotions can be toxic.  Underneath perfectionism often lie feelings of not being good enough (and wanting to overcompensate), self-doubt, disappointment, and at it’s very worst, self hatred.

Everyone has their own driving force for perfection but it’s not usually positive.

Relaxing perfectionistic tendencies will relax your body, and your muscular contractions, which will relax digestive function.

The Perfect Diet for IBS

If you suffer from digestive issues, instead of looking to that restrictive diet, magic herb or pharmaceutical for help, take a few moments to ask yourself:

Where do I expect perfection in my life? Am I attached to a perfect outcome? The perfect body? The perfect life? Can I let go? Simply asking that question will shine awareness on your contractions and they will begin to slightly relax.

Life if messy. Expecting it to always go the way you want is a trap. We’re constantly being thrown off balance. Perfection just taunts us.

Instead of perfection, focus on balance. Balance means not doing too much. Balance means not having unrealistic, unforgiving expectations. Balance means knowing that you will never be perfect.

Got it?

Perfect!

 

Tweet